


Cross that line

by BytheSea (ye_old_cactus)



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mass Effect 3, POV First Person, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-27 20:03:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12589500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ye_old_cactus/pseuds/BytheSea
Summary: A little private moment for themselves as they recover from the last mission they had.





	Cross that line

_He looks beautiful_.

That’s the first thing that comes to my mind after I hadn’t seen him for a while. The lieutenant I met all those months ago, is no longer. The way he carries himself, the way he speaks, and even how he looks at the rest of us is different, when someone else tells me he’s now a Major, I realize the entirety of his whole change. Not that the fact that he’s a Major is what makes him different, but that he really seems to have found his place as one.

It’s only thanks to all my years of training, that I don’t stop and stare, I do find myself dumbfounded, and can’t help calling his name as soon as I hear him say mine. But after that, I’m simply speechless.

He just doesn’t look beautiful, he _is_ beautiful.

* * *

 

“There is no way in hell you thought that,” Kaidan finally says flabbergasted.

“I swear,” Shepard laughs, shoving Kaidan, softly.

They’re in Shepard’s cabin, resting after a rather hard mission that left them bruised and battered. They were lucky to not end up in the medical bay for the next few days, but not enough to not feel like they got ran over by a truck.

“Be honest,” Kaidan says with the tip of his ears red, “we hadn’t seen each other in I don’t know how many months and the first thing that came to your mind was that _I_ was beautiful?”

Shepard just shrugs smiling sheepishly. “You _are_ beautiful, but you’re right.” He smirks, “I also thought your ass got bigger.”

“Oh my god!” Kaidan practically screams, getting up from Shepard’s sofa where they were cuddling, “I can’t believe you and I’m going back to my quarters.” He heads to the door but when he’s about to ask EDI to open it, Shepard launches at him and cages his waist with both his arms.

“Shepard!” Kaidan stumbles, taking Shepard down with him. He looks back to where his partner is, looking like a kicked puppy and pouting.

“Don’t go,” Shepard says simply. And for a minute Kaidan forgets that this man is a commander, leading a huge ship and probably the last hope of the universe. He’s about to say something when Shepard continues. “I wasn’t kidding. I really thought that.”

“Why?” Kaidan asks, genuinely confused, while trying to get them both off the floor and to the sofa again, his muscles are sore and he’s sure Shepard’s too.

“You’re asking the wrong person, K,” he tries to tug Kaidan closer to him, but instead of snuggling back, Kaidan looks at him, trying to find the answer in Shepard’s deep blue eyes. The only thing he finds there is honesty in every single word that comes out of his mouth.

“I just don’t understand, you know,” he finally snuggles back, his head on Shepard’s chest, a well-known place to him and his favorite place to be after way too many drinks. When Shepard just looks back without saying anything, he continues, “you’re the Commander John Shepard, known throughout the galaxy, future savior of the universe, hero of the Citadel, first human Spectre, N7 soldier, why would you even look my way but to give me orders like to the rest of the team?”

“Kaidan…” Shepard smiles and it’s a smile so soft and open and honest that Kaidan’s heart skips a beat, “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. You’re truthful, hardworking, smart, compassionate and beautiful. You see the good in people and you follow your instincts. You don’t let outside stuff distract you from your goals—”

_Except that time that I burned our food because I was ogling you,_ Kaidan remembers.

“—You know when you have to act and when you have to step down, you have great intuition, you’re crazy badass and,” he takes a deep breath, “how could I not look at you _that_ way.” Shepard finishes, smiling. Kaidan has never seen him smiling this much. His eyes close a little and his face relaxes in a way that only happens when he’s sleeping soundly.

“John...” He has no idea what to say, but words, as soldiers, are something they’re not used to, well, use. So, he stays quiet, but moves closer to Shepard’s face and, with a gentleness he didn’t know he possessed, kisses him. Their lips barely touch, but the closeness is enough to send shivers down his spine. He also doesn’t miss how Shepard’s arms are full of goosebumps, now.

“I love you, always,” John says, reaching for Kaidan’s cheek. His hands are scarred after years of holding guns and non-stop battles, but, even like that, his touch is as soft as a feather.

“I love you, too.” Kaidan leans into the touch, Shepard’s unusual cold hands, warm on his feverish skin.

They fall asleep like that, Kaidan curled around Shepard and Shepard’s arms holding him tight.

That night, none of them wake up sweating and shivering from nightmares and memories lived in the battlefield. They wake up to move to the bed after Shepard can’t feel his arms under Kaidan’s weight and Kaidan’s back hurts from the uncomfortableness of the couch.

They go back to sleep almost in the same position, but come the morning and they decide the pain will be worth it if they get to be so close to each other all night and maybe part of the morning, too.


End file.
